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Kitchen remodel: stoves

When Remodeling your Kitchen you do not want to have a bad stove. The difference between a good and bad stove can make or break your cooking experience. First you have to decide between electric and gas powered depending on your situation in the kitchen. I would recommend electric. Gas powered is too dangerous if misused. You can blow up your house! Second you have to consider dimensions and looks in comparison to the rest of the kitchen. Also where the stove will sit in relation to microwave, sink, refrigerator, and dishwasher. There are all these things to consider and more! Sam Clark has lots more to say about it in his book Remodeling Your Kitchen. Pay close attention to what he has to say:

“The standard domestic stove is 30 inches wide by 36 inch counter height, decide to go to the same 25 inch deep counters. Within These limits, Dimensions vary. Some stick out farther at the front some have much higher backs. Also some fit tight to the wall at the back, others are designed to have gap for air flow.

The 30-inch size is standard for good reasons, it has a big oven and plenty of room on the burners. If you are considering a water stove, make sure it won’t rob you of essential counter space. In many kitchens, 36-inch or even wider still will leave you with two little work surface. In really small kitchens, a 20 inch or 24 inch stove me makes sense. And Europe, in fact, where space is at a premium, 24in is an accepted standard for stoves. For most, 30 inch stove should be completely adequate, unless there’s a compelling reason to go larger or smaller. Freestanding stoves simply sell the floor and have backsplashes that extend for in two 12in up back. Slide in stoves also sit directly on the floor, but usually have lips on either side to cover the gaps where they meet the counters. Since its intended to sit between cabinets, a slide in may not have a finished side, and typically there will be no splash or back. For that reason, slide into usually makes sense for island or Peninsula installations, or where tile backsplash will cover and protect the wall. Less common are drop-ins, which have lips and no backsplash has, like slide ins, but do not sit on the floor. Instead, they’re built into the Cabinetry. There may even be room for a drawer below a drop in, in the cabinet kickspace will run right through. So I didn’t and drop in stoves are generally more expensive than freestanding stoves. Regardless of the type of stove you choose, you want to make sure that it has small and large burners, so it can simmer delicately as well as heat quickly. Also see if the stove has sealed burners and other features that make it easy to clean.”

Call us at Al’s New Kitchen Remodel today for our opinion on your kitchen. There is a free consultation so do not hesitate to call. 734-404-7744. Have a great day and an even better remodel job.